Honeysuckle Sours

The honeysuckle has been out here for about a month, but in the last few day has seemed to reach its climax. It was giving off an incredible scent after this morning's rain.

We wanted to use it in a seasonal gin cocktail, and knowing its reputation as a soothing antibacterial tea for sore throats, thought we'd keep it as a simple infusion in hot water and use it as a kind of mixer. Here's what we came up with for today's gin tour at the distillery.

Dry shake to mix the ingredients. Shake with ice and double strain into a coupe glass.

Garnish with a honeysuckle blossom.

Foraging Notes

Pick about a kilner jar of flower heads and separate them from the hub, minding to keep the base of each trumpet intact as that is where the nectar sits. Be careful as some non-petal parts of some varieties of honeysuckle are toxic - as with any foraged ingredient, you'll need to sample a small quantity at first and be aware of any existing allergies or signs of adverse reaction. More info about honeysuckle and uses here >